I’ve been meaning to do one of these the last couple of years. This year I’ve finely been prompted into action by a combination of watching one my colleagues, Finn Spencer, do a great blog about it (you can see it here), AND secondly, the fact that despite being besieged by bushfires, dangerous levels of smoke (from said bushfires), a destructive hailstorm and then everyone’s favorite pandemic good old Covid 19 we (students & the whole Academy of Entertainment crew) still managed to put out some pretty fine major projects.
Even if 2020 had been just dandy this year’s cohort would have done well. The fact that things have been very much less than dandy means these students have done extra special awesomely well. I can vouch first hand, that suddenly moving to online teaching and trying to make peace with Zoom so you can work/study is more stressful and hard work than it appears at first glance, but what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger right?
Reflecting on the process, one thing the whole online teaching caper put into stark focus was the importance of communication, it’s very easy for the little nuances to get lost when chatting/typing online or even with voice (with or without the squishy face cam). As per usual the teams that communicated the best, did the best and got more done. It’s really heartening to watch students do this right, especially in groups that have turned previously dodgy communication into lean mean communicating machines.
The other element I noticed students struggle with is scheduling, which isn’t really surprising when you consider that when we work in big ol’ AAA’s or efficient little indie studios we still struggle with it! But the bit that catches even those with an eagle eye on their Trello, Hack n Plan or what have you, is allowing time for things to go wrong, and to not only get things in the game and functioning but make them fun and engaging—that last one is hardly ever given consideration even in big studios.
On less critical note this year’s Canberra cohort were creative and brave enough to go outside the box when it came to end of year projects. We had a very tight puzzle game for the mobile, a super chilled garden designing/planting experience also for the mobile, a frantic plate spinning VR game where the Player has to prevent a nuclear power-plant blowing up a-la Homer Simpson, a narrative and find a-object sci fi mystery , a gorgeous looking 2D pixel platformer, and an intense horde shooter with slimes.
Before I give the 2020 cohort the mightiest of congratulations, I’d like to thank the whole AIE crew from heads of school, teachers, admin and everybody else. As the major project is a production subject that brings the Art, Design and the Programming streams together, I would like to give a special thanks to my partners (teachers) in crime, the multi-talented programmer and producer Tony Oakden, the manically passionate and master of tortured metaphors Finn Spencer, the unflappable Kay Byrd and audio master Tim Duck from CIT-thank you comrades!
And now thanks and congratulations to the 2nd year students of Canberra AIE 2020-You mob don’t completely suck <3 (C’mon its me if I said anything else it would just be weird).
So, without further undue here is the awesome (Thanks to Finn for letting me steal his format and links)
'Bosky'
Elevator Pitch: "Bosky is a relaxing PC & Mobile game where the player creates miniature forests in a personal plant pot ".
Credits:
Art: Alexander Murphy, Erin Biskup & Sie McEachern
Design: Idris Hunt
Programming: Idris Hunt & Pip Jadric
Audio: Diego Aparicio & Jack Rankin
Download Bosky: https://teambosky.itch.io/bosky
Developer Commentary: https://youtu.be/wu9RforAXQc
'Malfunction on the Orion Express'
Elevator Pitch: "Malfunction on the Orion Express is a Hidden Object & Text Adventure Game. Agatha Christie meets Firefly in this thrilling Sci-Fi detective story. Solve mysteries by interacting with compelling characters and investigating the luxurious carriages aboard the Orion Express."
Credits:
Art: Frances Adams, Nguyen Pham & Brea Fox
Design: Gavin Lee & Dana McKay
Programming: Jim Phimphravichith
Audio: Tim Duck
Download Malfunction on the Orion Express: https://absconditusvox.itch.io/malfunction-on-the-orion-express
'Me Myself & Die'
Elevator Pitch: "Me Myself & Die is an isometric puzzle game where the goal is to orchestrate and manipulate your death to progress. Each time you die, you leave behind a block. Arrange these blocks to solve the puzzle."
Credits:
Art: Martin Widdowson & Sie McEachern
Design: Jason Marsh, Mateusz Solle & Dean Subritzky
Programming: David Flintoft
Audio: Lachlan Willacy & Yan Parums
Download:
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.MeMyselfAndDie.MeMyselfDie
Itch.io: https://memyselfanddie.itch.io/memyselfanddie
'Meltdown VR'
Elevator Pitch: "Meltdown VR is a game, in which a player must stop a nuclear power plant from exploding be performing a series of seemingly innocuous tasks."
Credits:
Art: Charles Spall & Martin Widdowson
Design: Connor Jack & Rowan Brown
Programming: Tarn Cooper
Audio: Mark Campbell
Download Meltdown VR: https://meltdownvrteam.itch.io/meltdown-vr
'Planet Unknown'
Elevator Pitch: "Planet Unknown is a retro-inspired Sci-Fi 2D pixel platformer. Play as a stranded adventurer who has crash-landed on a hostile alien planet that must find their ship’s missing hull to escape. Traverse the strange environment, solve puzzles, fight enemy creatures, and gather as many ship pieces as possible with the aid of special abilities. ".
Credits:
Art: Elise Allan, Angela Stevens & Sebastian Tuckwell
Design: Chris Selleck, Tristan Duggan & Matt Solle
Programming: Sian Sallway & David Flintoft
Audio: Lane Stoddard & Rhys Cronin
Download Planet Unknown: https://the-planet-unknown-team.itch.io/planet-unknown
'Slimelight'
Elevator Pitch: "Slimelight is a third-person wave-based shooter with a Roman theme where you play as a slime fighting other slimes.".
Credits:
Art: Samuel Bartlett
Programming: Ryan Pallesen
Download Slimelight: https://slimelightdev.itch.io/slimelight
